Champions League back-up plan starts tonight!

by .

courtesy @allthatchas

courtesy @allthatchas

The real competition starts today.

You won’t see pansy footballers crying about red cards, oh no, the Europa League is for real men. Leave your emotions at the door, stop talking about gluten-free and prepared for a politically incorrect fight on the footballing senses.

The home game against Vorskla should be fun. Bernd Leno is going to make his long-awaited debut. Keepers were a topic of conversation before the game with Emery.

“Each goalkeeper has different qualities. But they cannot change our style. Maybe one quality is better Leno than Petr, maybe one Petr than Leno. We need the same style and to work to improve each goalkeeper in our style.”

“He’s here because he showed us his quality,”

“The quality for the goalkeeper for me, is being complete. He has it.

“He can go a long way here at Arsenal. He’s young.”

A rumour in one of the papers stated that his big faux pas was dropping a clanger against Brentford preseason. The club were tanked in that game and looked really average causing panic in the ranks of the new boys. He was the sacrificial lamb.

That said, I still think the reason Emery persists with Cech is that he wants to have influential figures in the dressing room onside during the difficult first three months of his job. Leno was in need of rehab after an average prior season, so hopefully he doesn’t drop a Karius in front of the home support tomorrow.

The additional good news is Eddie and Smith Rowe will be in the squad, so hopefully, we’ll see some minutes from those two.

Emery was diplomatic when he spoke about how he’ll line up tomorrow.

‘For me, every match, each moment, is about finding the best performance with the players. We have four competitions this season. Tomorrow is the Europa League, Sunday is Premier League, then it’s Carabao Cup and then we’re going to play in FA Cup. I want the same thing for every player because each match is important. The second situation is that we need to give minutes to the players who can produce the best performance for us. The best 11 will play tomorrow so that we can continue to improve in our way both tactically and individually. What’s important for us is to produce a winning performance but also to continue to improve.’

If he’s picking the best team to beat Vorskla, you’d imagine he’ll be able to flex into the deeper reaches of the squad. I think his main worry will be making sure he lands 3 points at home. That’s hugely important in a competition most of us probably think is our best route into the CL this season.

Complacency is always the devil in these situations, so hopefully Emery will have the players fired up and we can go hard a team we really should breeze past.

We’ll see!

Oh, before I go. I saw that Arteta lost against Lyon.

You were right.

He’s a fraud.

That proves out he’d have been a terrible coach for Arsenal.

Thanks for the analysis.

The blog closes tomorrow.

BUT BEFORE THAT… listen to the pod you mugs.

SPOTIFY | STITCHER | ITUNES | GOOGLE | POCKET CASTS

478 Comments
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peter

No one here today!!

peter

2

peter

3

peter

clean sweep

peter

Bankz where are you

peter

somebody stop me or it will be a starting 11 for me

peter

7

peter

8

peter

9

peter

10

peter

DM.. while you were away I made a first 11. Am out of here

Emiratesstroller

Pedro I don’t think that you can judge Arteta as a fraud based on yesterday’s result. The team was still picked by Guardiola and once players are on pitch they have to take responsibility for their own performance. Let’s face it Man City walked onto the pitch expecting to win and played like that. As I have just posted on previous thread the real concern is that teams in EPL are spending grossly inflated transfer fees and wages on very average players, which clubs on the Continents are able to buy at the fraction of cost. Defending in EPL is… Read more »

Guns of Hackney

City lost and that means “Arteta would be shit for Arsenal”. Fuck off. Wengemery lost his opening two games, stunk the place up and he’s “so experienced and actually managed games”. Fuck off twice.

Like last season, we will not win the Europa League. We aren’t good enough and there are much better teams.

It will be three years without champions league football.

Guns of Hackney

Stroller

Peter was being sarcastic.

Sekard

Anyone here think it is entirely possible we could do a Liverpool of old and go on a barren champions league period barring an odd year here or there.I’m beginning think it’s possible.We’re so far behind now.You stand still even for a year and you’re in trouble.We’ve been static for how long?

Guns of Hackney

Sekard

We won’t be getting back into the CL for years…unless UEFA allow the top 8 teams into the comp.

Arsenal are done until Stan ponies up wicked money or we get a better equipped manager.

Black Hei

peter

1. Either peter is another way of spelling Pedro or…..

2. What have you done to DM

englandsbest

Three ghosts from the past who are hardly worth mentioning:

Wenger, Arteta, Gazidis.

They are dead and buried.

Two guys who are alive and kicking:

Kroenke and Emery

They still matter

UTarse

Sekard,
It does look bleak for us given the mess that Arsenal FC is today but we have to see the player clear out and replacement strategy to be implemented before we really can judge….. stan the snake needs to put some of the capital gains he has made from the club and the fans back into the club….. this is where I am skeptical and sometimes hopeless.

Sekard

@GOH
Yeah.It’s going to be a long road back I feel.We won’t win the Europa cup in our current state either,regardless of how many times Emery has won the competition.Once the big boys get dumped out of their champions league groups,it’s over.There is always one or two top teams that fail to qualify in the group stages each year.

Michael24

Pierre From previous post. I’m old school, so it’s always 4 4 2 for me. Lacazette and Auba up top. Torreira a definite starter, with Guendouzi given priority (avoiding burnout) over the others. I would like Lichtsteiner to start ahead of Bellerin, but that’s just me. Let me see Mr Leno before I pass judgement on the GK situation. We all have our own perceptions on tactics and formations which, at the end of the day, are irrelevant. I firmly believe that Emery knows what he’s doing, even though some feel otherwise. Nevertheless if, after two or three seasons, he… Read more »

englandsbest

You can’t lose a player like de Brunne without it showing. If Arsenal had the pick of any player in the PL, he’d be my man.

That’s why Man C are stuttering. No matter how good the manager, personnel counts for most.

Sekard

@UTarse
I’ve been supporting Arsenal nearly 40 years and I can say without any doubt Kroenke is the worst thing that ever happened to the Arsenal.Our former board of directors need to hang their head in shame. Dein included.

David Smith

such huge change, in a brief period of time.
Dont believe we can easily compete with the doped, but itdoes feel like weare finally catching up.
Just shows how much wengers intransigence,hatred of change, loyalty to under achievers, and Stans passivity have held us back for so many years.
Exciting times, but realism also needed

Prince of nigeria

Manchester city fucked my accumulator up yesterday

Guns of Hackney

Sekard

Well done for calling out Dein. He started this whole shit show rolling. He may be on everyone’s “let’s get him back” radar but the fact remains he took his pieces of silver.

Michael24

David

Well said.

Guns of Hackney

David smith

Doped? Are you fucking kidding me…

Arsenal are the sixth richest club in the world so I would assume that apart from the top five, we are also guilty of “doping” against the other million clubs we are richer than? Yes?

The reason Arsenal are failing is because we have been poorly run for a very long time.

Prince of nigeria

we need to win europa and we can beat chelsea….. we played 3:2 at the bridge imagine if that was europa we would have an advantage

raptora

Pedro, let it go with comparing Pep and Zizou to Arteta. Both have coached their clubs “B” teams before being promoted to managers of their respective senior clubs. Pep made extraordinary never before seen things at such a low level league in that year. He went through a tough start, said he has no idea what to do, fought it back and was his talent shone like a bright star. In that 1 year he had growing pains but he took his work to the next level even though he was coaching in Spain’s 4th tier. He merged Barcelona B… Read more »

Pierre

Michael
thanks…So not much difference to me really…lichsteiner ,Lacazette,torriera and Leno all to start.

What is your opinion as Ramsey as our no.10 and cech playing it out from the back, does it fill you with confidence.

4-4-2 ?
Not sure we have the wide players for 4-4-2.

If we played 3-5-2. It would enable us to play aubamayang and Lacazette up top with bellerin and monreal wing backs ,lichsteiner or mavropanos coming in as the extra centre back or Kosielny if fit…..have 2 sitting in midfield out of torriera/guendouzi/xhaka and Mhkitaryan or ozil.as CAM

Leedsgunner

For the squad tonight, we will probably see a line up like this, Leno Lich-Holding-Mavropanos-Thompson Elneny-Torreira Mhitaryian-Iwobi Welbeck-Nketiah Martinez Smith Rowe Mustafi Guendozi PEA Monreal Lacazette Anyone know about this kid Thompson? He must have really impressed Emery to have leapfrogged the existing U23 leftback who is Tolaji Bola at the moment. I hope he comes good… we definitely need cover there at the moment. Surprised that W.illock wasn’t reserved from the U23s game against Blackburn for this game because I thought he played really well against Coventry in the Checkatrade Trophy a few days ago. I would have liked… Read more »

UTarse

I agree with Claude, Europa is a distraction and I cant us winning it…. we need to get real here, if we can cut amount of our games and focus on trying to finish 5th or better then that will help build a foundation for next season with a couple of transfer windows to improve this squad…

N5

The problem is UT that no manager worth his salt is going to just throw the Europa to the Youth team etc. Imagine tha backlash if Emery said i’m concentrating on League Position and ECL etc.

raptora

We were pretty close to beating Atleti if it wasn’t for that Kos fuck up. Anything can happen in a (two) cup game (s). We should proceed to it just like Wenger did last season. Push through the early stages of the tournament with the frindge/youth players, and then pick the team according to the opposition and how things sit in the EPL. For sure we shouldn’t just forget about Europa and play like there isn’t another competition that can give us direct access to the UCL groups. There is and we should take our chances and see how things… Read more »

Dream10

UTarse

If we finish 5th, doubt we’ll be spending anymore than we have done this summer

China

GOH

We need a better equipped manager you say. Please tell us what arteta is equipped with.

Leedsgunner

We all know Emery was hired due to his extra ordinary success in the Europa League. If anyone knows how to win it, it’s him. The Europa League, is, in effect not a distraction but more of a safety blanket… and a way for the club to save face if we start faltering in the league. This, of course means, if we finish outside the top 4 and not winning the Europa League Emery will be out after one season, most likely. This realisation will keep Emery sharp and hungry. He, frankly, has no time to be complacent… as it… Read more »

Guns of Hackney

China

Pack it in. Arteta was one of many I, and many others mentioned. We could have literally got 7 managers better and more equipped than the bland and incoherent, Wengemery.

Steve McLaren would have made things more exciting.

HighburyLegend

“Steve McLaren would have made things more exciting.”

Quote of the year so far.

Guns of Hackney

Leeds

Mate. Wengemery won it three times…great. But a manager alone, does not win a trophy…the players have something to do with it.

Zidane, without the talents of Real Madrid and Ronaldo, would not have won the CL three on the spin.

Seville had a better team that more suited to Europe than we do.

Emery was hired because he was probably the candidate that would tow the line the best. Fact.

Guns of Hackney

HL

What about Big Racist Ron Atkinson? He would boss it…he’d hate our Black players, but holy moly…we would have excitement. Especially in the post match interviews.

Leedsgunner

“Wengemery won it three times…great.”

As it stands Emery won the Europa league trophy three times more than Arteta.

That, my dear Guns, is a fact. 😉

Here’s another one.

Arteta’s current managerial record:

1 game – 1 loss.

Wishing you the best Guns 😉

Guns of Hackney

Leeds

Are we honestly saying that Arteta is now city manager?

Because if he is, we should go and get Pep.

HighburyLegend

And btw, I thought Arteta did pretty well last night on City’s bench, don’t you think ?? 😉

UTarse

Dream10,
Yes and no…. we will have new sponsorship deal money kicking in for one… also my point that stan has to put some money in to reap the reward needs to complement the additional funds …. he’s already been rewarded very handsomely for doing sweet FA.

Guns of Hackney

City lost because Pep blundered. He didn’t follow Arteta’s instructions.

Arteta gave pep a go but don’t worry, Mikel will be back in charge on the weekend.

HighburyLegend

Vorskla Poltava…
FFS, it’s impossible to pronounce those words without seeming ridiculous.
(lol)

raptora

HL, lol!

Leedsgunner

“Are we honestly saying that Arteta is now city manager?” Nope. Last night, Arteta had every opportunity to show the footballing world why Pep’s thinks so highly of him… and he flopped. Am I saying he won’t be a top manager? Nope. Only time will tell, but if Arteta is SO good, why didn’t Rangers, Derby, Leeds, Nice, Dortmund… all good clubs with history and pedigree, snap him up? What did Arteta choose to do when he was snubbed by Arsenal? He sulked and wrapped himself up in his Man City security blanket. Why not go and prove yourself if… Read more »

Leedsgunner

*Why would we want…

HighburyLegend

“why didn’t Rangers, Derby, Leeds, Nice, Dortmund… all good clubs with history and pedigree, snap him up?”

Because GoH is not a fan of any of those clubs ??

Leedsgunner

PV4 has more chance and pedigree and is more suited, at the moment, to being Man City Manager after Pep than Arteta.

Dissenter

Arteta looked like he was out of his depth last night. Everyone knew Pep was still the one pulling the strings from the stands and yet there he was, pretending to be managing the team,
I don’t even know why we keep talking about an assistant manager who has never managed a full game of football is life.

Emiratesstroller

Pedro I have just listened to your Podcast. As I wrote previously and you confirmed the role of CEO in a football club particularly one which is now family owned is frankly not that important, because he is just an employee whose main function is to keep the ship afloat administratively. Kroenke failed to perform for 8+ years and only reacted once Arsenal failed to qualify for CL. He left “football decisions” to Wenger and did not react even when it became blindingly obvious that our ex Manager was not fit for purpose. The football management has now changed so… Read more »

Sekard

We ain’t getting anywhere near the Europa league with this squad as it is.Arsenal historically have no European pedigree anyway.1 Cup winners cup and 1 fairs cup and that is it folks.Arsenal fans have been fooled into the Wenger mindset of participation and financial revenue being an achievement in itself.Whole structures win European trophies.We haven’t got it in place yet.

gonsterous

guns City lost and that means “Arteta would be shit for Arsenal”. Fuck off. Wengemery lost his opening two games, stunk the place up and he’s “so experienced and actually managed games”. Fuck off twice. poor guns. The Lord and saviour will be shit for arsenal cause unlike city, we aren’t a multi billion team. But what ever to suit your narrative. englands best any good coach needs a good personnel. Yes, so why is emery getting shit when he doesn’t have the personnel ? why is he expected to play like peak invincibles with this bunch ?? As I… Read more »

N5

“City lost because Pep blundered. He didn’t follow Arteta’s instructions”

Ha ha, love it.

raptora

“The players are not perfect, sometimes they have bad days, sometimes better. I can’t fault the effort. I won’t judge them because we lost.”

Arteta’s explanation of the loss. Lolz!

gonsterous

guns

Steve McLaren would have made things more exciting.

geez, now I’m 100% sure you are not taking your meds.

gonsterous

raptora

arteta learnt from the best. Wenger of house Deflector. Protector of kids and deflector of questions.

Guns of Hackney

Artpeper

HighburyLegend

@raptora : please, stop stealling all my lolZ.

Guns of Hackney

Wengteta

kc

Pep can’t be too happy with his 2nd in command after last night. Mikel better hit the jewelry store stat. A watch might not be enough this time. Fucking brown nosing water boy.

gonsterous

guns

please stop posting, all your arguments are riddled with holes.

Arsenal players stink because of emery. But him winning the EL was down to personnel ?

Zidane won three on the trot cause of ronaldo but didn’t other managers have access to him and the massive wealth of Madrid too ?

Of course a manager plays a vital role, thus the fuss when any club is hiring a manager.

I know arteta losing his first game in charge has got you pissed but talk some sense mate.

Guns of Hackney

Gons

Okay.

Bamford10

Tonight is a perfect opportunity for Emery to see how we look in a different formation. Really hope he sees that we’d be better in a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2.

Bamford10

Hackney

I am not all that convinced by what Emery has done thus far, but your whole “Wengemery” thing is dumb: Emery has nothing in common with Arsene Wenger.

UTarse

N5,
He will be playing with a weaker side anyhow… and doesn’t need to come out and “poch style” say we have bigger fish to fry but just would be a good thing if we get knocked out by a big side early doors.

Guns of Hackney

Bamford

You are jealous that you didn’t think of Wengemery.

It’s now part of football lore.

Leedsgunner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kooNKyCR35c

Hopefully with Raul Sanhllelli heading up football operations we will be competiting for these types of players.

Sounds like an ideal player for the type of football Emery wants to play.

Bamford10

One, do people really think that playing on Thursdays is going to negatively impact our performances in the PL? I don’t. At least not in any substantial way.

Two, why wouldn’t we want to compete for the Europa title? We’re not likely to finish top four, so Europa is sort of our level at the moment. I don’t see the logic for not trying to win the European competition we happen to find ourselves in.

Dissenter

Good morning people
I see guns is up to his usual trolling.

Can you imagine if city had won with Arteta pretending to manage the team?

N5

UT, I guess time will tell but I’m betting he’ll go for this cup.

Guns of Hackney

Trolling?

I hope we change things up tonight and try something exciting.

…what am talking about? We have a man in charge that gives boring a whole new meaning.

Bamford10

Leeds

Lucas Paqueta does look like a talent. See video below. Impressive, except for that little dancing bit at 1:15, which is a little embarrassing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89N9iRn5EMg

raptora

N5: “Can you imagine if city had won with Arteta pretending to manage the team?”

Roflmao. I know right?! Holy balls! Same goes for Pedrito as well.
Both charmed by the uncharming one. One of the dullest ex-footballers around.

Victorious

Had an interesting convo with an erstwhile WOB and he made a striking remark that we’re currently winning not because of Emery but despite having him in the dugout, Not that I completely agreed, but he had some solid and salient points fallback on when I pushed back.

raptora

I mean Dissenter lolz! My bad.

Champagne charlie

Sekard

Could you tell me the plethora of strikers you consider better than Harry Kane?…that puzzled me from the last post

raptora

Vic,
I’m sure that you “pushed back” lol. It’s not like you haven’t said similar stuff at all… Probably the “erstwhile WOB” doesn’t exist and it is indeed your sick imagination.

Stefano14

Leeds

‘Last night, Arteta had every opportunity to show the footballing world why Pep’s thinks so highly of him… and he flopped.’

An amazing manager or a horrendous manager will lose a game of football if his players make two mistakes as critical as the ones delph and Fernandinho made.

So for all the people using it as a stick to beat arteta with….stop it you’re embarrassing yourselves.

These mistakes would have happened if pep was managing.

Stefano14

Can guarantee half the gobshites on here didn’t even see the city game? Just the usual jumping on the bandwagon.

Bamford10

If you include wide strikers, I’d say all of the below are better all-around strikers than Harry Kane, whose lack of pace limits what he can be and do.

Cavani
Neymar
Mbappe
Salah
Mane
Aguero
Lukaku
Bale
Suarez
Lewandowski

Victorious

raptora

Get over yourself already

The narrative from your ilk was that those who still had some modicum of respect for wenger’s achievement for the club will be the first to draw out the knives for Emery if things get a bit muddy,
Doesn’t look like that way ,In fact the opposite seem to be the case as the vast majority that disgracefully hounded out the previous manager seem to be same folks having subtle moans and concern of the lethargic performance from the team so far.

HighburyLegend

I’m not the king of LolZ anymore, can’t fucking believe it…

Guns of Hackney

Bam

Did you deliberately leave out Messi and the fake Ronaldo?

Kane is an adequate domestic forward who will a lot of goals but as you said, his glaring inadequacies will always show on the world stage.

Pierre

Many posters are accepting(or making excuses)that we will struggle this season but I don’t go along with that reasoning. Attacking wise we have no real worries ,we are already scoring 2 goals a game and that’s without our strikers or playmakers clicking yet…. The manager needs to focus on the balance of the team especially midfield and defence. If he is playing a back four then he should tell bellerin to keep in line with the other 3 ……if the ball is crossed to the far post then it is bellerin s job to compete for the ball instead of… Read more »

Victorious

Also not sure that I’ve said ‘similar stuffs’ or anything related to making claims of winning despite Emery and not because of him

almost like you churning out stuff from your arse as per

China

GOH I wouldn’t disagree there were other options than emery who might’ve been better choices. Never disputed that. Time will tell on that front

Champagne Charlie

“If you include wide strikers” aka if I can bend the rules to prop up my argument.

Who are the better CFs than Kane? Sekard claims there’s a plethora of them, I’m simply curious to know who counts amongst them.

Can’t take Banford seriously because he’s just offered Mane and Lukaku up, I’m just shocked Benteke never got a nod. The lengths some will go to in order to suit a previous statement…. Cringeworthy

raptora

CC, I’ll have a try. EPL: Aguero probably the only one lol EPL is bad. France: Cavani, Mbappe cause he could fit there with 0 effort. Italy: Cronaldo, Higuain (maybe the same level as Kane), Icardi (would fit Arsenal the best probably of any other CF) Germany: Lewandowski Spain: Suarez, Diego Costa, Benzema bc he’s much, much better at combinations than Kane and you cannot exist in a top, top team if your all-round game sucks. So from these if you put age in to perspective HK is 25 yo. Aguero (30yo), Diego Costa (30), Lewa (30), Cavani (31), Higuain… Read more »

HighburyLegend

“Wengteta”

Ah ah ah!!

UTarse

Lukaku better than kane ? Really ? Mane too ?? WTF ??

Sekard

Aguero,Mbappe,Messi,Ronaldo,Benzema,Salah,Bale,Neymar,Suarez,Lewandowski,Cavani,Higuain.I know I’ve missed some other strikers off the top of my head..What has Kane won?

UTarse

Higuain is not the same level as Kane. he’s a choker who needs 6-7 chances to score a goal.

Victorious

Can guarantee half the gobshites on here didn’t even see the city game? Just the usual jumping on the bandwagon.’

Looks that way coz I’m not sure that Pep’s presence could have made any difference to the result, Lyon bettered and battered them and could have had more, Pep picks the team and set them out to his formation

And why should Arteta be taking blames when we’re made to believe he does nothing more other than putting out the cones for pep

so which is it exactly?

Victorious

Cavani
Neymar
Mbappe
Salah
Mane
Aguero
Lukaku
Bale
Suarez
Lewandowski

Personally won’t include Lukaku, But you get what Bam is getting at

All clearly better all round strikers than Kane

Pierre

Ufraud “He will be playing with a weaker side anyhow… and doesn’t need to come out and “poch style” say we have bigger fish to fry but just would be a good thing if we get knocked out by a big side early doors.” To clarify..you would like to see Arsenal knocked out of the Europa cup and I presume you would put the league cup in with that. Looking back to last season ,the 2 biggest home games with the best atmosphere were the semis v atletico Madrid and Chelsea …2 great games with 2 great performances from Arsenal…… Read more »

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